House Springs man sentenced to 15 years for shooting neighbor

Robert M. Hochthurn, 47, was sentenced to 15 years in prison By Ryan Storz

JEFFERSON COUNTY (KMOV) -- A House Springs man received a 15-year prison sentence for shooting a neighbor he was having a dispute with.

Robert M. Hochthurn, 47, received two 15-year concurrent sentences for assault and armed criminal action with a four-year sentence for unlawful use of a weapon.

On July 3, 2014, Hochturn, his son and his nephew were riding bicycles past their neighbor's home in the 4500 block of Springview Drive. The neighbor used a wooden axe handle to strike Hochthurn on the head and one of his family members on the elbow.

A fight broke out between the parties. Afterwards, Hochthurn went home, got a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and walked down the street, firing at his neighbor's house.

The neighbor went inside, but a bullet went through the door and struck him in the arm.